Trey Lance could be on the move after the 49ers reportedly sided with Sam Darnold to be the backup quarterback for Brock Purdy this season.
The 49ers traded multiple first-round picks to the Dolphins to select Lance at No. 3 in the 2021 draft. Now San Francisco might be looking to recoup some draft capital with Lance possibly no longer in its long-term plans after the emergence of Purdy, who guided the 49ers to the NFC title game last season.
Perhaps the 49ers will decide to keep Lance due to the team’s injury history at the position, but now might be the best time to trade the former North Dakota State quarterback with the deadline for cutting the roster to 53 players 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. Also, Lance might have some trade value after an impressive preseason performance last week.
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Here are six teams that should call the 49ers about trading for Lance.
Atlanta Falcons
Lance’s mobility makes him an ideal fit in Arthur Smith’s run-heavy offense. And not only will his athleticism help the Falcons’ Bijan Robinson–led rushing attack, Lance’s strong arm would benefit tight end Kyle Pitts and wide receiver Drake London for plays downfield. Unlike the 49ers, the Falcons can afford to go through the growing pains of Lance’s development and still be competitive in the subpar NFC South. And, yes, the Falcons are high on second-year quarterback Desmond Ridder, especially after a promising preseason performance (7-of-9, 80 yards) last week. But Lance has the higher ceiling, and he might already be on the same floor as Ridder. Earlier this year, the Falcons said they weren’t interested in trading for Lamar Jackson—likely because compensation would have been steep (Jackson stayed with the Ravens, signing a five-year, $260 million extension). The 49ers’ asking price for Lance would likely be a lot less.
Minnesota Vikings
Teams that express initial interest tend to remain interested in players who return to the market. That was the case with Derek Carr and the Saints, who were reportedly the lone team to make a trade offer to the Raiders. Later, the Saints landed Carr after the Raiders released him. For this scenario, the Vikings were rumored to have interest in trading for Lance, a Marshall, Minn., native, before this year’s NFL draft. If the Vikings remain high on Lance, it might be tricky because the team has moved forward with Kirk Cousins for this season. Perhaps the Vikings are O.K. with the awkwardness of having Lance as the backup and with Cousins playing out the final year of his contract in Minnesota. There’s also the option of having Lance take over in case Cousins gets injured or the Vikings struggle this season.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If Lance is hoping to play immediately, the Buccaneers could be his best landing spot. The organization isn’t committed to Baker Mayfield, who’s on a one-year, $4 million contract, and a QB change likely wouldn’t cause a rift in the locker room because players recently found out about Mayfield beating out Kyle Trask as the starter for the first season without Tom Brady. Lance would have plenty of weapons with wide receiver Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and his mobility would help the offense if the offensive line struggles like it did in 2022.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans are in a strange spot with their quarterback room. With new GM Ran Carthon repairing the team’s salary cap this past offseason, it seemed Ryan Tannehill’s days were numbered in Tennessee. But the Titans likely didn’t release the veteran quarterback because Malik Willis, a 2022 third-round pick, and Will Levis, this year’s second-round selection, aren’t ready to start, and who knows if one of them will develop into a reliable starting quarterback. Plus, Lance might be viewed as a better quarterback prospect than Levis and Willis. Oh, and Carthon was with the 49ers’ front office when they drafted Lance in ’21. You can always connect the dots when it comes to NFL personnel moves.
Washington Commanders
Pairing Lance with Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy would be fun to watch. Bieniemy was instrumental in the development of Patrick Mahomes, who arrived in Kansas City as a raw 6'2", 225-pound quarterback from Texas Tech. The 6'4", 224-pound Lance might never reach the elite playing level of Mahomes, but they do have a similar skill set with size and athleticism. This might be worth the gamble for Washington to pair Lance with Bieniemy, but the team might be committed to seeing what it has with Sam Howell as its starting quarterback.
New England Patriots
This destination for Lance might be a long shot. But, hey, the Patriots and 49ers have done business before with trades involving notable quarterbacks. Six years ago, the Patriots sent Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers, a trade that helped Kyle Shanahan’s team become a consistent playoff team. Perhaps the 49ers return the favor and send Lance to New England to compete with Mac Jones, who was drafted 12 spots after Lance in the 2021 draft.
